The Ethereal Glove
by Twilight Moon
Summary: When Will is kidnapped, Lyra searches for him. But she soon realizes it isn't as simple as it seems...
1. The Ethereal Glove

His Dark Materials  
  
Disclaimer  
His Dark Materials and all related characters belong to Bantam and Knopf books, and I am sure Philip Pullman is involved.  
  
  
  
Lyra woke from her sleep, sweat rolling down her cheeks. She tossed aside the covers, her body clearly outlined in the moonlight. She had come there, to Dame Hannah's boarding school, to learn more about the alethiometer. She had learned a lot, but not how to cope with the recurring nightmares.  
The nightmares she was having came two, sometimes three, times a night. It was the one where she is lying next to Will, and she wakes up to a violent fight. A dark figure is holding Will in his hands, and he simply walks off, leaving Lyra all alone. And when she tries to figure out what happened, she grabs for the alethiometer and...  
And she can't figure out what to do. Her one true love, and she has no idea how to help him. That's when she wakes up. In the middle of her panic.  
Lyra sighed, walking out of the dorm. She passed the bunk beds, each holding a girl who attended the school. They were breathing happily. Lyra stared at them momentarily, jealousy pulsing through her veins. She shook off the feeling, however, and strode to the bathroom. She turned on the shower, pulled off her underwear, and hopped in.  
Soon, Lyra felt truly refreshed. Unfortunately, this meant she did not feel tired. She pulled out her alethiometer, hoping she could further her studies. After all, there was nothing else to do. She went to her small locker, pulled out her backpack, and looked at the little velvet sac. She opened it, and inside lay her precious golden compass.  
She shut her locker and walked back to the bed, making herself comfortable. She started to twist the little knob, but something made her freeze in her tracks. Someone coughed. She glanced around, and heard it again. It didn't some from any of the girls, and the Lyra backed up.  
Hiding in the shadows, Lyra lapsed into her sub-conscious mode, preparing to use the alethiometer. In the three years she had been at the school, she had learned to go back into the trance. She twisted the knobs, and then watched the needle swing back and forth, her eyes watching every movement.  
Where is Dame Hannah? Lyra asked. This was an easy one, she already knew the answer. But it would help get her started.  
The boarding house, watching over her newborn.  
Lyra was surprised by the ease it came at. She understood why each symbol had been pointed at almost immediately. Who stole my homework today?  
The Lady Monroe. Beware of her, she is out to get you. Lyra was shocked. She had gotten into trouble for not having her homework earlier that day, and her teacher had taken it. Lyra would have to talk to Lady Monroe later. She worried about the second part, however. Sometimes, the alethiometer told you more than you wanted. And it wasn't always wanted information.  
What shocked Lyra even more was that the answer, a harder one to decipher, had come to her so quickly. She grinned, deciding to try a question she had long wanted to know but had never been able to decipher. How is Will?  
He is in a horrible situation, captured.  
By who? Lyra asked.  
A sound interrupted her. She looked up, breaking out of her trance. "Who is it?" she shouted. Some girls moaned and got to their feet, but hurriedly went back to bed when they saw it was still dark out.  
"Shh..." a voice said. Lyra didn't recognize it as any of the girls voices. "Its me."  
"Who?" Lyra hissed. And then she saw a slight outline in the night. It was an angel. "Xaphania!" Lyra shouted in glee, awakening yet more girls.  
Lyra was a sixteen year old girl, with hair she liked to describe as 'burnt sienna.' She had a tall, slender figure, and was currently dressed in only black lingerie, for she was in her nightclothes. Xaphania was a tall angel, with long hair and a perfect form. Lyra envied her, though most boys wouldn't understand why.  
"I have given you your gift back," Xaphania said. "You will need it, for the long journey ahead."  
"What journey?" Lyra asked. She was starting to get impatient, for she wanted to figure out who had taken Will. It was probably those stupid men who were always after him.  
"In my journeys, I have found many of the windows of these worlds. I have been able to close most of them, but the one I found most recently... I couldn't bring myself to close it just yet."  
"Why?" Lyra asked, beginning to get intrigued.  
"It leads from this world to Will's."  
Lyra gasped.  
"I'll take you there," Xaphania continued.   
Lyra hurriedly nodded in agreement. "Oh, wait! No!" she cried. "I can't just leave! This is all I have left. I must say goodbyes, get permission to leave, and so on."  
"I understand," said Xaphania. "Well, good bye then."  
"Wait! I still must go! Jut give me a few days."  
Xaphania sighed, then said, "Agreed. I will be back in three days. You must be ready by then." Lyra nodded, gripping the pine marten in her hands.  
~*~  
"You understand, don't you, Dame Hannah?" Lyra said. "I must do this."  
Dame Hannah grinned and walked over to Lyra. She sat down next to her, smiling kindly. "I understand. Most girls would not get this special opportunity, this, this, time. But you, Lyra, you are a special girl. And I understand your feelings for Will. But promise me one thing."  
"What is it?" Lyra asked.  
"You'll come back in one piece."  
Lyra nodded. "Yes," she said, grinning. "I promise. I'll come back, and I'll be whole when I do."  
Dame Hannah smiled, and said, "Okay, go say goodbye to your friends. I'm sure they want to say goodbye, and maybe even listen to another one of your tales. Boy, after this adventure, you are definitely getting out of the World of the Dead!" Dame Hannah laughed, and then Lyra departed from her office.  
~*~  
As Xaphania had promised, Lyra was taken from the school three nights later. She walked among the grounds, Pantalaimon running by her, happy at his chance to once again see Kirjava. His sleek reddish-brown body was beautiful in the night.  
"Well," Xaphania said. "This may feel a bit odd at first, and you may get a headache, but... You will see it is worth it. It is a wondrous experience. Come now." And before Lyra could respond, she felt herself hoisted into the air, lifted by dozens of angels.  
Lyra felt her breath taken away, and watched in awe as the ground became further and further away. She felt the chill of the night air, the feel of the clouds, and the headaches of the altitude. But it was worth it all.  
And then it was over, all to quickly. Lyra was back on the ground, but it was much colder. She looked around, gazing at the snowy surroundings. She was back in the arctic. She thought about Iorek, and how nice it would be to see him again. She wondered what had happened to the king of the bears after the fight. She thought of consulting the alethiometer, but then saw the window.  
She walked up to it, ignoring the chill biting at her. She felt around, and looked it over again and again. It was magnificent. She reached her hand inside, feeling around. She thought she would never see another window like this for as long as she lived.  
Xaphania nodded in approval, and Lyra stepped through, into Will's world. 


	2. The Ethereal Glove

She had expected a rush when she came into Will's world. After all, she was going to see Will again, the only boy she had ever loved! Not only that, but she was going between worlds again, something that barely any teenagers, or even adults, get to do. She had expected a great warmth to fill her, lift up her spirits, and carry her to Will.   
That wasn't how it worked. A bitter chill bit at her, cold encompassing her. Snow swirled around her, thrusting at her face. She wrapped her arms around her body, wishing the cold would stop. Surprisingly, a tear fell from her face. But it wasn't because of the cold.  
It was because it was wrong. She was supposed to step through the window, onto the cool, green grass, where Will would be awaiting her. But it wasn't like that. Instead, she was stuck in the Arctic, while Will was captured by some hideous creature, no doubt.  
"Pan," she whispered. "It's so cold."  
"I know," he whispered, curling around her neck in an attempt to warm her. "But imagine when we finally find Will and free him! Won't that be wonderful?"  
Lyra nodded, and turned to the angels near her. "Can you take us to warmth?" she asked. They nodded in response, and came toward her. Lyra gasped as they grabbed her, once again lifting her into the air.  
~*~  
"You are quite a storyteller, young girl," the captain said. "Well, I guess we won't be getting an answer from you for some time, yet." He grinned a toothy grin, and Lyra pulled the furs tighter against her body.  
The captain of the ship pulled out a mug, which had been heating over the fire. "Here you are," he said. "Drink up."  
"Thank you," Lyra muttered, looking at the brown mess in the cup. It was hot cocoa, obviously poorly made. She closed her eyes and took a deep drink, surprised to find it was not as bad as it looked. She waited for it to cool a moment before hurriedly finishing it off.  
"It's odd," said the captain as he walked about the room, tidying up. "We found three people, all along the Arctic, and none of them are related. Ha, we've never found one and then we find three on the same voyage? Doesn't that seem odd to you?"  
"With all due respect, sir," Lyra said. "I found you."  
The man chuckled and sat down, staring at the fire. Lyra had stumbled out from behind the boxes, purposely making a show. The sailors had rushed to her, and she told them that one of the crewman had brought her along. They brought her to the captain, where she 'confessed' to have stowed away on a ship that had committed illegal activities. She became scared and stole a lifeboat, sailing out into the ocean. She had found the oil tanker and climbed aboard, hiding behind the boxes. She became hungry and cold, and when she came out, the crew 'kidnapped' her.  
Lyra had made herself out to be simply a victim of pirates. The captain, of course, hadn't believed her, but found traces of the outside on her. So he knew she had been on the ice. That dismissed the stowaway option, but didn't tell the captain much else.  
"So," he said. "Do you have any parents?" he asked.  
Lyra nodded before yawning, and saying, "I'm tired. Can you come back later?"  
The captain nodded, leaving the room. Lyra pretended to prepare herself for bed, but as soon as the captain had left she pulled out her little velvet sac. She pulled out the golden compass, twisting the knobs. Where is Will being held?  
The needle swung back and forth, and Lyra grinned as her knowledge came back to her yet again. Will is in a museum at Oxford. He is hidden away, however, and no one can find him.  
Where is he hidden?  
In the basements, which span miles. It is a maze down there, the tunnels lead all over the city. They branch off into sewers, and even outlets into the Thames River.  
Lyra sighed, slipping the alethiometer into its pouch. She realized just how tough this was going to be. Of course, she had tricked great polar bear kings, escaped Bolvangar, been in a war waged against Heaven.  
As she put her head against the pillows and curled under the furs, her last wake thought was, "When will I see Will?"  
~*~  
"We live in Oxford," Lyra confessed. "My family and I live at the University. They're scholars, you know."  
The captain nodded. "We can arrange for you to go to Oxford." Lyra grinned, realizing that she was going to be sent right to Will. She would go to her 'house,' and then run off to the museum. There, she would find and rescue Will from the clutches of evil! At least, that's how she put it.  
She had been awake for a while now, and the captain had invited her down to the cafeteria for a meal. He now sat opposite from her, trying to figure out more about her. The cooks and some people Lyra didn't recognize sat in a far corner, happily eating their meals.  
There was an awful silence, and then Lyra said between chews, "Who were those other people you mentioned earlier? That you found in the Arctic?"  
The captain laughed and said, "Oh, you are a curious girl. Very smart. I'll tell you, we found them in the same area, but at different times. We've been on this boat for some time, you see, transporting oil from Great Britain to America. On our way, we found a strong man in a carriage, dogs carrying him. I'm sure you know what I mean."  
Lyra nodded, thinking of her journeys in the Arctic. "We sent him back," continued the captain, "On a small boat. He should have reached Oxford, for he said that he also wished to go there, about a week ago. And then on the voyage home, we found a lady collapsed on the ice in the same spot. She is in the medical offices on the ship."  
"May I see her?" Lyra asked quizzically.  
"I'm afraid not," the captain laughed. "The lady really doesn't need any young children pestering her about what happened."  
"I won't pester!" Lyra hissed indignantly.  
The captain shrugged, taking away her plate. "Either way, you shan't be seeing her."  
"Where are the medical rooms?" Lyra asked.  
The captain shrugged, and said, "I don't know." He grinned at Lyra, and she son realized he would never tell her. Lyra sighed, and walked out of the cafeteria. She soon came along the ship, and proceeded to walk to her room. Pan, seeing her coming, ran towards her.  
She nearly tumbled over him, and hoisted him into her arms. "I don't like this world," she said. "I want you to be able to come everywhere with me."  
"I could tell," he grinned. "You nearly tripped over me when you saw me!"  
Lyra smiled, and suddenly was hit by inspiration.  
~*~  
"Where does it hurt, dear?" the nurse asked.  
"My ankle," Lyra moaned. "When I tripped, I think I twisted it."  
"Let's have a look at that, shall we?" she asked sweetly, gripping Lyra's leg. She looked over the ankle, and said, "It doesn't appear to be hurt badly. "I'll get some ice for you, though. I'll be back momentarily."  
Lyra nodded, and as the nurse disappeared, she crept over to the lady under the furs. She could tell that the lady was rather small, and had blonde hair. She reached for the furs, preparing to unveil the lady's face. "You aren't really hurt, are you?"  
Lyra sighed, realizing that the nurse had caught her. "No, ma'am," she said. "Not as bad as I made it out to be. It does hurt, though."  
The nurse nodded, handed Lyra the ice, and said, "Take this and put it on your heel. And do it in the comfort of your own room."  
Lyra grabbed the ice, walking out the door slowly. She took a final glance at the lady and walked out the door. Pantalaimon came to her. "Did she say anything?" he asked.  
"No," she sighed. "I didn't even see her face."  
~*~  
Soon, the ship in England, and Lyra was taken to Oxford. The captain came with her, and when they reached the main town, said, "Where do you live, Lyra?"  
Lyra thought a moment, then said, "Take me to the museum instead. My father works there."  
"I thought you said he was a scholar," the captain muttered.  
Lyra kicked herself, then said, "Did I say that? My mother is, and my father was. He decided he was better suited researching for the museum, though."  
"Good," said the captain. "That's nice to know. Which museum is it, then?"  
Lyra sighed. She had forgotten the name! She tried to recall what street it was on, and finally said the only street she could think of. "St. Cross Road," she said.  
The captain thought a moment, then said. "I grew up here, and if I recall correctly, there is no museum on St. Cross Road." Lyra kicked herself again. She had remembered it was in both her world and Will's, and so it had been the first to come to mind. The captain continued, "Nearby, though. There is the University Museum, on Parks Road. Is that where your father works?"  
Lyra, recognizing the names, hurriedly replied, "Yes! Yes, that's it!"  
The captain, happy that he could deduce so much, said, "Then we are off to the University Museum." Lyra relaxed in her seat, and soon the car pulled up to the museum.  
"Here we are," the captain said, coming to a stop. Lyra pushed open the door, thanking the captain again and again, acting as if she had truly been stuck out in the Arctic, away from her parents. She ran up the steps, but before she could enter the museum, she heard the captain shouting.  
"Wait, Lyra!" he shouted, running up the steps after her. "I want to see your father!" 


	3. The Ethereal Glove

Lyra turned to the captain, and he paused. The two stared at each other momentarily, and Lyra blurted out, "Why?"  
The captain laughed, slowly climbing the steps. "I'd like to meet this man, he must be quite interesting if he could father you. And I want to find out why you were in the Arctic, and most importantly, I want to ensure you find your parents." The captain soon caught up to her, and the smile fell from her face.  
"Promise not to slow me down?" Lyra asked. The captain nodded, and Lyra grinned. "Thank you," she said. "For everything."  
"It was my pleasure," the captain said.  
"Now let's go see my dad!" Lyra shouted, bolting up the steps. She hurried through the double doors, running off and hiding in the anthropology exhibit. The captain, meanwhile, found himself standing on the steps, too old to keep up with Lyra. He slowly walked to the doors, hoping to find her.  
Lyra peered at the exhibit, looking over every little detail. She had come to the museum before, and found old skulls with great amounts of Dust on them. Lyra looked for those skulls, and was delighted to see that they had not moved in the nearly four years since she had been there. She looked around, then walked over and sat in a dark corner.  
Pantalaimon crawled out of Lyra's old pack, crawling onto her lap. "What do we do now?" he asked. "Because I would really like to know how we plan to free Will."  
Lyra shrugged, looking at the pine marten in her lap. "Pan, you know I haven't thought that far ahead."  
"You never do," he grinned.  
Lyra pulled out the little velvet sac, then her alethiometer. She twirled around the little knobs, and waited for the answer. How can I free Will? The needle swung itself round and round. She looked at each of the symbols, and then tried to interpret the answer.  
She couldn't.  
~*~  
"Tell me where the glove is!" the man spat. He was tall and bulky, very muscular. He may have been dressed completely in black, Will couldn't tell if it was the man's clothes or if he was simply bathed in shadows.  
Will leaned his head down, collecting his breath. He had been brought down to the sewers recently, and now was tied to a sewage drain. He lifted his head and looked at where he guessed the mans face to be in the shadows, and said, "I told you! I don't know what you are talking about!"  
The man smacked Will across the face, which would probably wind up into another bruise. "Quit playing stupid with me, boy!"  
"I told you!" Will shouted. He wasn't that loud, however, for days of crying for help had made his throat soar, and he has nearly lost his voice. "I don't know of any glove!"  
The man sighed, then leaned down. Although he couldn't see the features clearly, it was one of the first times Will could see his face in the dim light. The man licked his lips, eager for what came next. He hissed, "I've had enough of your games, you foolish boy."  
And then Will found himself being untied. His hands fell free, the ropes taken away. He rubbed his wrists, raw from trying to escape from the rope. Will felt arms being wrapped around him, and as the man lifted the weakened teenager over his shoulder, Will found himself wishing for the first time that he was still tied to the sewage drain.  
~*~  
Lyra looked at Pantalaimon, obviously scared. "Pan!" she cried. "I can't read the alethiometer anymore! I lost it again!"  
Pan looked up at her, his eyes filled with sorrow. "Are you sure?"  
Lyra nodded. "I couldn't read the answer! And, we haven't seen Xaphania recently, what if we don't see her again? We won't get to the window, and we'll be stuck here forever, while Will is kidnapped, and we'll get deathly sick, Pan! Deathly sick!"  
Pan shook his head. "No, no! Maybe it was a complicated answer! Here, try this question. 'Will we ever see Xaphania again?' That should be simple, we'll know if you still have it!"  
Lyra nodded, and twisted the knobs. She went into her trance, and Pantalaimon grinned. That was a good sign. When he saw Lyra grin, he knew that she hadn't lost it. She said, "The alethiometer said, 'You must choose your own path, and the decisions you make will effect whether or not you see Xaphania!' I can read it, Pan! I can read it!"  
Pan grinned nervously, trying not to show his thoughts. 'We may never see Xaphania again, and if we don't see her, then we can't get to the window, and-' Unfortunately, Lyra and her dæmon could always tell what one another was thinking.  
"We gotta be careful, Pan," Lyra said.  
He nodded, finishing with, "We have to make all our decisions carefully."  
The two sat in silence a moment, and then Lyra said, "My first decision is to find Will."  
Pantalaimon looked up at her, agreeing. "It's what we came here for, right?"  
Twisting the alethiometer's knobs, Lyra asked, How do I get into the tunnels where Will is being held?  
~*~  
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Pantalaimon asked from his place in Lyra's pack.  
"It's what the alethiometer said. 'Through the sharks, and then through remains of creatures long dead. Near the king is a hidden door, leading to storage."  
"Why storage?" Pantalaimon hissed.  
"Storage is underground," Lyra responded. "Of course, it is going to lead into the tunnels."  
Pantalaimon muttered something about no longer liking the alethiometer and what it leads to, but soon stopped to look at the massive skeleton in the air above him, suspended from wires. He looked at the plaque on the wall, finding immense interest in the dinosaur remains. "We are in the remains of creatures long dead part," he hissed. "Now go find that stupid king of yours."  
Lyra hissed for him to be quiet, and then looked for a doorway to another exhibit. There was none. "Pan," she said. "It's a dead end. We are at the end of the hall, there is no exhibit with a king!"  
Her dæmon ignored her, choosing to spend his time reading the plaques. "Triceratops," he read, peeking out of the backpack and gazing at the bones. "Three-horned-"  
"Pan, please." Lyra looked around the room, and then added, "A little help would be nice."  
Pantalaimon looked at her indignantly, silently hopping out of the pack. He landed on the ground, then gazed at the tremendous structure before him. A gigantic skeleton was battling another, one with a large head with long, sharp teeth, and the other with a long neck. Pantalaimon leapt onto a pedestal carrying their names. "The Diplodocus," he read. "Although it was simply an herbivore, it stood a great chance of success when battling the vicious Tyrannosaurus Rex."  
"Pan," Lyra hissed to her pack. "Do you see a king anywhere?"  
Silence.  
Lyra turned, realizing her dæmon had left her pack. She sighed, looking around for him. When she saw him, she walked over and picked him up in her arms. "Pan!" she said.  
"I found him!" Pan shouted. "I found the king!"  
Lyra looked at the tablet, reading what it said. "The Diplodocus. Although it was simply an herbivore, it stood a great chance of success when battling the vicious Tyrannosaurus Rex. The T-Rex, a carnivore, was often called 'The King of the Dinosaurs.'"  
"Pan! You did it!" Lyra said happily.  
"And there," Pantalaimon said, pointing with his snout. "Is the door." Lyra followed the direction he pointed in, and saw a small hatch in the corner of the floor. The two hurried over to the door, hoisting it up. Ensuring that no one was watching, they dropped down, into the darkness of the basement.  
~*~  
Lyra crept through the dark, trying to move without making any noise. She hid behind the shelves, carrying labeled specimens that had not made it into the museum displays. She found some of it quite interesting, and thought it a pity that the museum had not put them up.  
A desk lamp shone through some gaps in the shelves, and Lyra was able to concentrate on reading the alethiometer. Pantalaimon went to make sure no one was coming. Lyra twisted the knobs, asking, Where can I find Will?  
Go by the shelves until you reach some steps. They wind down, leading into the tunnels. Turn left, and follow the path.  
Lyra committed the directions to memory, then called Pantalaimon. He scurried over to her, and the two walked down the shelves. After what seemed like an eternity of walking, Lyra and Pan came to a door. They slowly pushed it open, and found steps winding down, in a circular pattern.  
"Let's go," Lyra said to her dæmon, and they pushed through the darkness, down the steps. Lyra eventually found her footing on the ground, and the two set off down the left portion of the tunnel.  
They didn't say a word for fear of being heard by the kidnapper, they simply followed the dark tunnel. Along the walls were lights, but they were few and far apart, so they didn't help much. They were also incredibly dim.  
Soon, the two came to an fork in the tunnel. They could turn left, right, or head straight. Lyra looked down each of them, then pulled out her alethiometer. She tried to twist the knobs, and Pantalaimon could see she was getting frustrated.  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
"It's the alethiometer, Pan. I used to know where all the symbols were and everything, but I have forgotten that. And Xaphania didn't give me that ability back. Plus, it's too dark for me to see where the symbols are. We'll have to backtrack to one of the lights." Lyra and Pan both sighed, and then started down the dark tunnel.  
Before they could get to a light, Pan froze. "Wait," he said. "Do you hear that?"  
In the silence that followed, Lyra strained to hear what Pan was listening for. And then she heard it. Someone - or something - was coming toward them in the pitch black! 


End file.
